some random observations...

 Me while busy with all the little chores that make life busy:  a million thoughts to write on the blog.  Me while actually sitting down with the cup of coffee:  um...so...not much happening.

The girls went to the drive-in last night, so it was just Paul and I...then Emily came for a little visit, which was wonderful.  I had made a simple dinner of some hot sausage patties, then sautéed zucchini and onions, which eaten together:  mmm.  I also made some burgers for Paul.  The girls had eaten earlier, and taken a bag of snacks to the movies.  

The garden is full of promise, and zucchini, which is so proliferate, so hearty.  I've only picked three so far, so I don't hate it yet this year.  One went into the best zucchini muffins, made with almond flour, and a few tablespoons of honey for the sweetener, so good.  The tomatoes look fantastic, there are tons, still green.  The melon plants are getting huge, but we haven't had much luck with melons in the past.  We'll see.  I wish I had planted green beans, snap peas, but maybe next year.  

Today is beautiful.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Out here in the country, the only sound is the birds right now, and the snoring of the dogs.  The tractors have been working furiously in the fields, first harvest of the hay.  The sun is shining, and it's supposed to warm up to eighty.  The pool is clear and shimmering out there, waiting for the grandkids to come and splash in it.

Margaret is coming over today with Wulf and Tennyson, and a dog she's dogsitting for, which she used to own.  Kathryn is coming over with Achilles and Rhys and Jamison.  See, Adrian (Margaret's husband) is driving Darius (Kathryn's husband), and a few other guys to New York City so they can catch their flight to Oslo, for a youth summer retreat.  Sonja, Charlotte Claire, and Camille are going too, leaving tomorrow...driving to Boston and flying from there.  

The living room is decorated with suitcases.  The girls are flying Icelandair, and they're bag sizes are a bit smaller than other airlines.  A carryon can only weigh 22 pounds, and a backpack can only be 15 inches tall.  So they've had the scale out here, and have been packing and repacking, moving things from one bag to another.  I'm the background noise saying:  I hope you have room for chocolate on the way home!

If you guessed that it's going to be quiet here, you guessed wrong.   Kathryn might stay here while Darius is gone.  And, we're going camping next Thursday,  with Margaret and Adrian and Wulf and Tennyson in the site next to us.  We have to fit everything in our pick up truck, which has the extended cab and the small bed.  The two Labradors get the back seat, the bed gets Paul's bike, the awning, tent, coolers, camp stove, ect.  It gets really full really fast.  I would drive my car in addition, but...it's not fixed yet.  I can drive it small distances, but it gets inspected on Wednesday, and the mechanic is going to give us a diagnosis.  Let's hope it's not too crazy expensive.

Wulf holding baby cousin Jamie...with Tennyson

Now Tennyson gets a turn.

I praised the boys for how good and gentle they were with Jamison.  I told them he loves them so much and likes to look at their faces.  I told them that babies come straight from heaven, are gifts, and we have to be so good to them.  (They're getting a new baby in September, we don't know boy/girl yet, they like to be surprised...)

So I'm going from being a grandma of 12 to a grandma of 15, by September.  Sam and Grace will have their baby girl in a few weeks, then Molly and Josh a baby boy the end of August/beginning of September, then a week later, Margaret and Adrian.  When Grace's baby and Molly's baby are born, it'll be seven girls, seven boys, Margaret's will be the tie-breaker.  So it's very exciting!

Margaret and the boys will actually be here pretty soon, so I should get moving again...I already washed up the dishes, wiped down counters, puttered around barefoot to turn on the pool filter, check the chlorine, admire the garden, pull some weeds from the back patio, emptied the dehumidifier, killed a huge spider in the bathtub (Clorox spray), wiped down the sink, took care of the bag of bottles and cans...but the floor need a vacuum, and I need to water the flowers on the deck.  

We're planning to grill some burgers and hot dogs this afternoon, and get some sweet corn from the stand down the road.  I'm not tired of summer food yet.  Hmm, maybe I should make some brownies for the kids...I did buy red, white, blue popsicles (Bomb Pops).  

Summertime makes me miss my mother something awful.  She passed away 17 years ago next week.  She was just such a true and genuine and caring person.  She was an encyclopedia of everyone's birthdays.  She was thankful for everything, and content just to be with us.  She never had much in life,  but she was very rich.  She delighted in us.  Have you noticed that not everyone is a good listener?  Some people just like to talk, some interrupt, not too many actually listen.  My mother was a listener.  

Summer mornings, so full of promise, the wet grass and the shadows, sunshine dappling through the tree branches.  The blackberries are slowing down on the bushes near the woods, but the raspberries are going to be abundant.  There is nothing like wandering over there and eating them right off the bushes.  

And...off I go...have a really good day.